China's "zero corona" policy, set out as the Lunar New Year holidays neared, has baffled Japanese workers in Beijing — most of whom have been forced to remain in the capital for more than a year.
On Jan. 27, one day before the start of the 40-day Spring Festival travel season known as the world's biggest human migration period, the Beijing government abruptly announced stricter steps to restrict movement of people to prevent the intrusion of the novel coronavirus.
"I had planned to make a temporary return to Japan during the Lunar New Year holidays to see my family and had booked a flight, but I eventually postponed," said a Japanese employee who works at Sony Corp.'s Beijing office.